Rost: 3 moments from NFL divisional round that changed the rules

The Seattle Seahawks aren’t playing in this weekend’s divisional round of the NFL playoffs, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be watching. Of course you’ll tune in! There are three (!) teams to have never won a Super Bowl still vying for a shot at their first title (including two that are favored), the inevitable Chiefs fighting for NFL history, and the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite looking for a wild upset over the NFC’s best team.

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You’ll never know what history could be made in the divisional round. We’ve certainly seen it done before.

Kam Chancellor’s big leap

The Seahawks’ Divisional Round win over the Carolina Panthers wasn’t an offensive shootout, but it was a game that all but cemented Kam Chancellor’s legacy in Seattle.

Already one of the most respected and hardest-hitting safeties in the league, Chancellor strung together a dominant performance. He picked off Cam Newton in the end zone and returned it 90 yards for a game-sealing interception, which set a Seahawks postseason record. But that wasn’t even the craziest part of his night.

The most-talked-about moment? Chancellor leaping over the line of scrimmage twice to bat down a field goal attempt. The first attempt came with a Panthers’ false start, which is why doing it successfully a second time was especially impressive. On that second try, Graham Gano missed his kick but Chancellor was flagged for running into the kicker.

Best #LeapDay Highlight Ever ❗️

Peak @KamChancellor ⤴

📽 @NFL#Hokies 🦃 | @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/mn69pCVyeY

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) March 1, 2020

What Changed…

It didn’t count, but that doesn’t matter. It’s all anyone could talk about during and after this game and it was, frankly, fun. It was so culturally impactful that, two seasons later, the NFL banned leaping over the line on field goal attempts.

No Fun League…
How can you entertain if you are governed by people who never broke a bone before? #TheyDontUnderstand #NFL

— Kameron Chancellor (@KamChancellor) March 28, 2017

Dez Bryant’s non-catch

Perhaps the single most talked about and viral playoff moment for years following the game itself (with the exception of not running the ball at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX, that… unfortunately… also happened this playoff cycle).

The Cowboys were trailing the Packers late in the fourth quarter. On a desperate fourth-and-2 attempt, Tony Romo miraculously connected with Dez Bryant for what appeared to be a 31-yard catch that would’ve set the Cowboys up at the 1-yard line. Green Bay challenged the call of a completed catch, and the call was overturned in one of the most controversial decisions of the year. Turnover on downs. Green Bay ball… and the Cowboys never got the ball again.

10 years ago today…

Did Dez catch it? pic.twitter.com/SKzeBAWGeC

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) January 11, 2025

What Changed…

Three years later, the league changed it’s qualifications for what was required to complete a catch. Prior to the rule change, a player had to “survive the ground” (which is what was used to overturn Bryant’s reception), but post-rule change, a player was only required to “perform a football move” after establishing himself in bounds.

Josh Allen’s imperfect call

Josh Allen was nearly perfect in the Bills’ Divisional Round showdown against the Chiefs: 27 of 37 for 329 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, plus another 68 yards on the ground.

Allen nearly won the game in regulation when he found Gabe Davis in the end zone for a score with just 13 seconds remaining.

But then the Chiefs tied it 36-all with a last-second field goal and sent the game to overtime. And that’s when Allen made his biggest and only mistake of the game: he lost the coin toss.

The Chiefs began overtime with the ball and scored a touchdown on their first possession to win the game and advance to the AFC championship against the Bengals. Allen never touched the field.

The Bills-Chiefs ending in the 2021 Divisional Round will never get old. #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/U54yNhMtmN

— NFL (@NFL) January 16, 2025

What Changed…

This wasn’t the only game that prompted the NFL to change its overtime rules for the postseason, though it was certainly the biggest catalyst.

The NFL’s rule change allows both teams to possess the ball at least once in overtime during the playoffs, regardless of whether a team scores a touchdown on the opening possession. If the second team scores a touchdown to tie the game, only then will the next score win. The only exception: if the team that gets the ball first commits a safety, the kickoff team wins.

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